The Lothair Crystal and the Ideal of Justice, Pt. 1

Crystal depicting the Apocryphal story of Susannah (9th cent.)

When Edmond Martene saw this gem at the Benedictine Waulsort Abbey in Belgium in 1724, he wrote: "... a rock crystal adorned with precious stones, on which one sees the story of Susanna very delicately engraved, according to report, by Saint Eloi... The abbots formerly wore it on their chests while officiating [at Mass]."

(click on the image above for a closer look at the scenes)

The eight scenes depicted on the crystal, beginning with the orchard scene at top, moving clockwise and then ending in the center, are accompanied by paraphrased excerpts from the trial of Susannah (Daniel, ch. 13) from the Vulgate, the Latin version of the Bible. The crystal was commissioned by Lothair II (d. 869), of the Carolingian dynasty, and so we read in the center of the crystal, above the canopy: "LOTHARIVS REX FRANC[ORUM MEF]IERI IVSSIT," Lothar, King of the Franks, caused me to be made.*

First a rehearsal of the story of Susannah is in order. Then we will get to Justice as an ideal, what we might learn from the near perversion of justice that was averted here and why a King would have chosen to have this story depicted so beautifully and in such fine detail.

Susannah was raised by just parents, was instructed according to the laws of Moses and was, we are told, exceedingly beautiful (Vulg., pulchram nimisi). Two elder judges, who frequented the home of her husband Joachim, became infatuated with Susannah, perverted their minds and chose to ignore "just judgments" (iudiciorum iustorum) in order to pursue their lust for Susannah. Notice the repeated references to words related to justice. Thus, from the outset the reader gets a clear sense of the Leitmotif of the story. The elders sneak up on Susannah in an enclosed orchard bent on seducing her while her servants are away. They proceed to solicit her and warn her, that if she does not accede to their demands they will bear witness against her and declare that she has committed adultery. Susannah refuses in spite of the danger for she cannot "sin in the sight of the Lord (peccare in conspectu Domini)." Susannah is eventually brought to court and condemned based on the testimony of these elders and were it not for the intervention of Daniel, who declares "Return to judgment (revertimini ad iudicium)!" - she would have been stoned. Daniel proves they had given false testimony through some simple but brilliant cross-examination and the elders are stoned instead!

Engraved in the crystal, based on the Vulgate, are the words: FECE RQE ISSICU TMA LE/EGE RANT, shorthand for "Feceruntque eis sicuti male egerant adversum proximum (Vulg. Daniel, 13:61)."

Or as many Jews and readers of the Hebrew Bible know it (Deut., 19:19),"ועשיתם לו כאשר זמם לעשות לאחיו" In the final, center scene the judge proclaims Susannah's innocence before two onlookers and "innocent blood (SANG... IN/NOXIVS = sanguis innoxius) is saved that day."

*I took the Latin of the crystal, translations as well as some references from Genevra Kornbluth's, Engraved Gems of the Carolingian Empire.

Bird of Prey

Falcon on the prairie with a prairie dog in his talons, somewhere near Boulder, Colorado.

Taken by my good friend Benjamin R. Hesse.

Take a look at his site for other great images and artwork from the front range.

http://benjaminhesse.wordpress.com/

Jacob, Fear Not!

In light of the recent tumult and fear over the Iranian threat I thought I'd share a song of hope sung by the great Cantor, Berele Chagy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoedHOmwMpA&feature=player_detailpage

Of Vessels and Garments or Inside Out

The Tosher Rebbe

Of all the Chasidish Rebbes I've seen in person and in photos, the Tosher Rebbe seems to lead in best bekeshes (long coats). He is certainly presented to the public as a regal figure and this is conveyed with beautifully embroidered silk garments, fur, and a gold-handled cane.

Compare this image of the great Lithuanian leader of the yeshivah world and brilliant Talmudic scholar, Rabbi Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz, the Chazon Ish.

So I want to bring to your attention two interesting texts that reflect on the spectrum of the garments that clothe and convey the bodies of holy men... Some are hunger artists, like the Litvishe crowd (Brisk, and Novardok, Slobodka, le-havdil etc.) while others take on the appearance of a well-fed monarch. We'll not be so crass as to name names...

First from S. Ansky's, The Dybbuk is this exchange between the three Batlanim (men who are supported by the community that they may maintain their days in the synagogue learning and praying) and the Messenger:

In a dimly lit synagogue three men sit entranced

First Batlen: By Reb Dovidel Tolner, may his merit guard us, was a golden chair and on it was inscribed: "David king of Israel, lives and endures!"

Second Batlen: Reb Yisroel Ruzhiner of blessed memory, went around like a real monarch. By his table an orchestra of 24 musicians would stand and play and he was used to traveling in a wagon with no less than 6 horses in front!

Third Batlen: They used to say that Reb Shmuel Kaminker would go around in golden slippers... golden slippers!

And then the messenger comes in to the conversation, in a soft voice, as if from afar.

The Messenger: The holy Reb Zusha Anipoler was a pauper his whole life, collected donations, and went about in a peasant's coat fastened by a rope and was no less worthy than the Tolner or the Ruzhiner.

First Batlen: No offence, but you don't know what you're talking about, and you intrude anyway? When one tells of the greatness of the Tolner or the Ruzhiner is one speaking of their wealth?? Are there only a few rich people in this world? One must understand that within the golden chair and the orchestra and the golden slippers lies a deeper secret, a hidden cause!

Third Batlen: It's understood! Who doesn't understand this?

...

Who indeed? Now consider this text from over a millenium earlier:

From the Talmud, Nedarim 50b

A The Emperor's daughter said to R. Joshua b. Hananiah: ‘Such comely wisdom in an ugly vessel!’ He replied. ‘Learn from thy father's palace. In what is the wine stored?’ ‘In earthern jars.’ she answered. ‘But all [common] people store [wine] in earthen vessels and thou too likewise! Thou shouldst keep it in jars of gold and silver!’ So she went and had the wine replaced in vessels of gold and silver, and it turned sour. ‘Thus,’ said he to her, ‘The Torah is likewise!’ ‘But are there not handsome people who are learned too?’ ‘Were they ugly they would be even more learned,’ he retorted.

B A certain woman of Nehardea came before Rab Judah for a lawsuit, and was declared guilty by the court. ‘Would your teacher Samuel have judged thus?’ she said. ‘Do you know him then?’ he asked. ‘Yes, He is short and big-stomached, black and large teethed.’ ‘What, you have come to insult him! Let that woman be under the ban!’ he exclaimed. She burst and died.

So what to make of these disparate, divergent views of the relationship between the outer and inner? Well for starters, as I noted, the Talmudic text was produced over a millenium before the Chasidim spoken by the Batlanim of The Dybbuk burst onto the European Jewish scene. Needless to say, Jewish culture was vastly different back at the time the first part of the Talmudic text was produced. What's interesting here is that the Talmud places two very different aesthetic views cheek by jowl. In A physical beauty is spurned, while in B from the Talmud, an insult to the physical appearance of Samuel, a Rabbi, is admonished to say the least.

As far as the regal accoutrement of the Hasidic Rebbes is concerned we can offer a very simple explanation. From the time of the rise of the Babylonian/Persian Jewish leadership there was an emphasis on presenting leaders who carried the mantel of authority, that entailed all sorts of civic responsibilities beyond the juridical, as leaders, as kings of their court with all that the Persian culture back then entailed. So with the Men of Silk, as one author refers to the Chasidishe Rebbes.

This is simply the way it was to be; in that historical moment:

Es muss sein! (As a great composer once wrote).

Dress the part if you want to be the King! And yes, there are hidden meanings and mystical reasons for the flourish, the flare, the grandiosity, and the unabashed bravura; not like "a guy who takes his time" who goes for big commotion as Mae West sang of the amateur.